Petra's Poem is a non-traditional documentary featuring a woman with Down Syndrome reading her soliloquy about how it feels to live in today's society with a disability.
Petra Tolley, the female in question, wrote, narrated, choreographed and even performed in the film. Tolley and the rest of the ensemble cast perform in front of a blank white set, which allows director Shira Avni and her team of animators an opportunity to incorporate rotoscopy and under-camera animation to highlight and bring to life this seemingly deeply personal poem.
Unfortunately, the white background makes a particularly pale cast-member blend into the set and the left-to-right camera shots prove discomforting, making the ensemble occasionally resemble the Children of the Corn.
The four-minute run-time makes this experimental documentary a quick watch, which is ideal for anyone with attention deficiencies. And while the politically correct thing to say is that this is a profound and moving work of art that inspires and enlightens, the reality is that the poem is awkward and contradictory and the film doesn't have a conclusion, leaving viewers wondering what they just witnessed.
Avni's attempts to shed light on a different life experience are commendable, however.
(NFB)Petra Tolley, the female in question, wrote, narrated, choreographed and even performed in the film. Tolley and the rest of the ensemble cast perform in front of a blank white set, which allows director Shira Avni and her team of animators an opportunity to incorporate rotoscopy and under-camera animation to highlight and bring to life this seemingly deeply personal poem.
Unfortunately, the white background makes a particularly pale cast-member blend into the set and the left-to-right camera shots prove discomforting, making the ensemble occasionally resemble the Children of the Corn.
The four-minute run-time makes this experimental documentary a quick watch, which is ideal for anyone with attention deficiencies. And while the politically correct thing to say is that this is a profound and moving work of art that inspires and enlightens, the reality is that the poem is awkward and contradictory and the film doesn't have a conclusion, leaving viewers wondering what they just witnessed.
Avni's attempts to shed light on a different life experience are commendable, however.